Long After You're Gone
by Ambs15
Summary: Based on Phillip Phillip's song (Gone, Gone, Gone) ""I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice catching on nearly every word, "I'm so sorry." My heart twisted inside my chest, and I reached out to comfort him. But my hand passed through his shoulder. He didn't even flinch. I couldn't stop myself from crying, and I knelt next to him, telling him it's okay, it's okay, it's okay." (T)
1. I'm Dead

**((A/N Hey guys! So I usually don't like writing two fanfics at the same time, as I usually prioritize one over the other, but I had this wonderful idea that I couldn't help but develop... and here it is. I came up with the idea while listening to_ Phillip Phillip's_ song, _Gone, Gone, Gone__. _If ya'll want to get the gist of this story, read the lyrics; the verses and bridge are Annabeth's POV, and the Chorus is Percy's POV (in BOLD). This whole story is written in Annabeth's POV unless otherwise specified. This story is much heavier than my others; there will not be as much humor, and there will be a lot of crying. I apologize for this in advance. Disclaimer: Ciharacters and all the jazz belong to the ever-talented troll, Rick Riordan. R&R!:)))_  
_**

* * *

_******"Gone, Gone, Gone"**  
_

_When life leaves you high and dry_

_I'll be at your door tonight_

_If you need help, if you need help._

_I'll shut down the city lights,_  
_I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe_  
_To make you well, to make you well._

_When enemies are at your door_  
_I'll carry you away from war_  
_If you need help, if you need help._  
_Your hope dangling by a string_  
_I'll share in your suffering_  
_To make you well, to make you well._

_Give me reasons to believe_  
_That you would do the same for me._

**_And I would do it for you, for you._**  
**_Baby, I'm not moving on_**  
**_I love you long after you're gone._**  
**_For you, for you._**  
**_You would never sleep alone._**  
**_I love you long after you're gone_**  
**_And long after you're gone, gone, gone._**

_When you fall like a statue_  
_I'm gon' be there to catch you_  
_Put you on your feet, you on your feet._  
_And if your well is empty_  
_Not a thing will prevent me._  
_Tell me what you need, what do you need?_

_I surrender honestly._  
_You've always done the same for me._

**_So I would do it for you, for you._**  
**_Baby, I'm not moving on,_**  
**_I love you long after you're gone._**  
**_For you, for you._**  
**_You would never sleep alone._**  
**_I love you long after you're gone_**  
**_And long after you're gone, gone, gone._**

_You're my back bone._  
_You're my cornerstone._  
_You're my crutch when my legs stop moving._  
_You're my head start._  
_You're my rugged heart._  
_You're the pulse that I've always needed._  
_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum my heart never stops beating..._

**_For you, for you._**  
**_Baby, I'm not moving on._**  
**_I love you long after you're gone._**  
**_For you, for you._**  
**_You would never sleep alone._**  
**_I love you long after you're gone._**  
**_For you, for you._**  
**_Baby, I'm not moving on,_**  
**_I love you long after you're gone._**  
**_For you, for you._**  
**_You would never sleep alone._**  
**_I love you long, long after you're gone._**

_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating._  
_Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you._

**_And long after you're gone, gone, gone._**  
**_I love you long after you're gone, gone, gone._**

* * *

I died on March 6th, 2014. I was 18 years old, good and healthy, which is rare for a demigod. Honestly, I shouldn't have died. It was an accident, but sometimes even accidents are very purposeful.

Immediately after it happened, I was sent to Charon, who put me through to the Underworld, where I stood before the judges, shaking and afraid. They read aloud all of the good and bad things I'd done in my life. Some made me grimace. Some made me smile. All made me cry.

My good things outweighed the bad by far, and they offered me Elysium. I turned it down. I asked for something else instead. They looked confused, but quietly considered my request, which eventually they accepted. And I was on my way back home.

When I arrived, my funeral had just ended. Everyone's eyes were red, and my close friends sat together, all looking so pained it hurt me. There were rows of chairs, most of them deserted. I didn't see my family. That's okay, though. I didn't expect them to show up.

Smoke still rose from my shroud, and I found myself walking up to it. In front of the lump wrapped in smoking silver cloth, he kneeled. His face was pale, and his eyes were red, and his fists were curled tight.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice catching on nearly every word, "I'm so sorry."

My heart twisted inside my chest, and I reached out to comfort him. But my hand passed through his shoulder. He didn't even flinch.

I couldn't stop myself from crying, and I knelt next to him, telling him it's okay, it's okay, it's okay. He couldn't hear me.

Then he stood, sharp and rigid, and began running. I followed him past crowds of kids, past the Big House, and to his cabin.

He slammed the door, but I passed right through it. I covered my mouth with my hand as he thrashed around, screaming and crying and breaking everything in sight. A chair sailed through my head and shattered against the wall behind me.

"Stop it!" I yell. He didn't stop. He just kept breaking things and punching holes in the wall until his cabin looked like hell. Then he sank to the floor and put his face in his hands and bawled. I crept forward and ran my fingers through his hair. His body shook with sobs.

"I love you," he whispered quietly, to no one and to nothing. I know he was talking to me.

"I love you, too." I whispered back. I stayed with him until he cried himself to sleep, on the floor, surrounded by debris. And then I left, unable to see anymore sorrow.

No one gave me so much as a glance as I walked towards the lake. A few little kids even ran through me, laughing and poking at each other with wooden swords.

I dipped my toes in the water, but it didn't ripple. A breeze shook the nearby trees, but I didn't feel it. I was dead. I am still dead.

I found the place where I died, surrounded by already withering roses and pictures of me: me when I was first found on my father's doorstep, me on my first day of kindergarten, me on my father's wedding day, me with Thalia and Luke, me with Percy and Grover, me, me, me. It felt stupid to pay tribute to myself, but my knees buckled, and I found myself kneeling before this commemoration.

Over a million thoughts ran continuously through my mind, but one stood out above the rest, leaving me clutching at my stomach. _Will they be okay without me?_

All of my tears for the day had been cried, and so I just sat and stared at the rose petals that danced in the wind but didn't fly away. That's where I am now. Just sitting, staring. I have been here for hours now.

"Annabeth?"

I shake my head, "Leave me alone." And then something inside my brain clicks, and I look over my shoulder to see Chiron, his eyes on me. His eyes on me? "How…?"

Chiron swallows, and I can see the pain in his eyes, "I'm immortal, my dear. I've died a dozen times. I know what a ghost looks like."

The word sends a shiver down my nonexistent spine. I'm a ghost. "And you can interact with me?" I ask, my voice cracking. I stand and reach towards the centaur, but even though I can speak to him, I still can't touch him. My fingers pass through his arm.

"You are not solid, no matter how clear you are," Chiron says. His face twists, "You are dearly missed."

I take a deep, shaky breath. "Is everyone else okay?"

"There are a few in the infirmary, but you seemed to have saved most of them from harm."

"No others died?" I ask again for confirmation.

Chiron shakes his head, "No. It was a brave…" he stops and clears his throat, "Very brave thing you did."

"The judges offered my Elysium." I tell him, "But I wanted to come back. I needed to see him."

The centaur opens his mouth to speak, but hesitates. "He is going to be okay, eventually. Is there… anything you'd like me to tell him?"

Tears fill my eyes, and I bite my lip, "Just remind him how much I love him, okay?"

"I can do that." Chiron sighs heavily, "I know you don't sleep, but if you need a place to stay… the Big House is always open."

I smile quickly, but it is almost instantly washed away. "Thanks, Chiron."

He smiles sadly, "You are a great hero, Annabeth Chase."

"Were," I correct quietly.

"Are." He reaches out with his hand, but then seems to remember my situation and pulls it back. He winces, "I have seen many wonderful demigods come and go. They never stay."

"I'm sorry," is the only thing I think to say.

He laughs sharply, "Never apologize when you have nothing to lose."

I want to tell him that, even though I'm dead, I still have so much to lose. But he gallops away without another word, and I swear I hear him sniffle.


	2. I'm Impossible

**((A/N I know most of you hate the idea of an OTP being broken up by something as trivial as death, but I swear, this one will survive :) Just give it some time to develop, and you'll be having the same old Percabeth with a not-so-same-old story plot, I promise! R&R))**

I spend the night in his cabin. It makes my heart ache that I can't touch him, talk to him, even smell him. He's crawled into his bed, off the floor, thank gods. He doesn't cover himself with a blanket, but holds something close to his face. I lean in to see what it is and my heart shatters.

He grips one of my shirts, his face buried in it. His other fist is wrapped around my camp necklace. It must've been ripped off before the accident.

Not even when he's sleeping does he look peaceful. His face is still flushed, and his eyes are strained shut, almost as if he's only pretending to sleep. But I watch the steady rise and fall of his chest and hear the soft snore that accompanies sleep.

I sit on the edge of his bed, although I'm not sure how. The bed doesn't bend or creak where I lower myself. The blankets don't even bend. Like I'm hovering, just above them, unable to disturb the plane of reality that I've been banished from.

I don't feel tired. Probably never will. But I'm satisfied with simply watching him sleep. His quiet slumber lasts about an hour. Then, around midnight, his eyes flutter open and he whimpers something against his pillow. He sits up and runs his fingers through his hair.

And then he looks at me. His eyes stare right into mine, and I feel a line of electricity shoot through my spine. His mouth opens slightly in awe, but then his expression changes. He squints his eyes in confusion, shakes his head, and then rolls over onto his side, muttering something about losing his mind.

"I'm here!" I cry out, the sound echoing through the silence. He doesn't hear me, but in that moment, I'm almost positive he saw me, even for a fraction of a second.

My heart races, and I try to get his attention again by kneeling in front of him and talking not even a few inches from his face. I run my hand along his arm, his cheek, through his hair. And then I try harder, willing myself to become solid enough that when I hit him, he will feel it. He will.

But he doesn't, and I punch right through his chest where his heart is, tears running down my cheeks. How could I have gotten so close and still lost him?

I find my feet and begin running, straight through his door and up to the Big House where I know Chiron is. The moment I step into his room, his eyes fly open and he sits up, clutching his chest.

"_Di immortales! _Annabeth, you cannot just storm into my sleeping chamber!"

"It's called a bedroom," I tell him, "And it's not like I can knock."

His lips twitch, and he looks at me, his gray hair covered in a blue nightcap. "What is it that you need?"

"Percy saw me!" I exclaim, "I know he did, he looked me right in the eye."

Chiron shakes his head, "That's impossible. He was probably looking at something behind you."

"No." I say with finality, "I swear to all the gods. He knew I was there."

He sighs, "I have lived for millennium, and never have I once heard of ghost-mortal interaction."

"Bianca contacted Percy after she died," I point out.

"Yes, but that was from the Underworld. The rules are different in the spectrum of the living. There was no way in Tartarus that Perseus was able to see you."

It's as if he's backhanded me across the face. I stumble backwards, and try to steady myself. My hands land on a desk, and it feels perfectly solid. "How come some things feel solid, but others I can pass through?"

Chiron shrugs, "It depends on your needs. If you need somewhere to sit, you are able to. If you need to pass through a wall, you will."

My mind churns a few thoughts around, "What if I need to feel someone instead of something?"

The centaur ponders this, "I don't know in what situation that would be necessary. You'd be breaking a few laws, but it might be possible."

"We need to try!" I say, stepping forward and placing my hand on his shoulder. It phases through. "I need to touch Chiron's shoulder," I tell myself aloud. My fingers still don't feel. But Chiron's face contorts.

"Do that again," he orders, his eyes shut. I tell myself what I need again, and try to touch him, but to no avail. Or at least that's my first thought. Chiron, on the other hand, looks awestruck. "It… felt cold. Barely noticeable."

"But you felt something?" I ask quietly. He looks me in the eye and nods slowly.

And I begin to run. I turn on my heel, intent on getting back to Percy, but something grabs my arm and I'm yanked backwards onto the ground. I hit with a thump, and look up to see Chiron staring at his hand. "I… I just…"

"You grabbed my arm." I say.

"No." Chiron breathes heavily, "No, no."

"Yes, you did."

He shakes his head, "Impossible."

I smirk, "I've done the impossible numerable times."

He doesn't laugh.

I sigh, "Look. I have eternity. And I'm going to use that time to figure out a way back to Percy. He needs to know it wasn't his fault."

"It wasn't." Chiron agrees, "There was nothing he could have done."

* * *

_ I'm in the forest, running, pounding through the trees. "Go! Run!" I scream, pushing the kids ahead of me to run faster. Most of them are much younger than I am, seven or eight years old._

_ Percy runs beside me, his hand clamped over the bloody wound on his neck, looking back over his shoulder every few seconds. His eyes meet mine, and when he sees what I'm about to do, he shakes his head. "No."_

_ "Keep going. If you don't help them, the kids won't make it back." I say, slowing my run. I scan the trees. It should be here any moment now. _

_ He shakes his head again, causing blood to seep down through his shirt, "I'm not leaving you."_

_ "You need medics!" I scream at him, pushing at his shoulders, trying to get him away from danger. "Please!"_

_ He hesitates, and then reaches over and caresses my cheek, kissing me gently. It's a slower kiss than I would normally be comfortable with, considering the impending doom machine headed this way, but I melt into it anyways._

* * *

I reach up and touch my lips, still feeling his brushing mine. In the split second I had the memory, my heart has broken all over again. "I'm going to help him." I whisper quietly.

"It's not a good idea. He's still… tender. Hurt." Chiron's voice pulls me out of the secluded corners of my mind.

"I'm not waiting until he's numb," I growl.

"You'll be rubbing salt in the wound," Chiron tries to convince me. But I will not be convinced.

"That's better than cutting him open again after he's scarred over." I say sharply.

Chiron holds his hands up in surrender, "Fine. We'll try."

"I don't try," I smile at him victoriously, "I succeed."

Now he laughs.


	3. I'm Still Here

I follow Chiron to Cabin Three. It's extremely late, way past curfew, but the harpies avoid Chiron as we walk.

Chiron raps his knuckles on the door, not loud enough to wake anyone up, but moments later the door opens.

"Chiron? Is everything okay?" Percy asks, his voice raspy and low. I see Chiron glance down at me out of his peripheral vision, but I can't rip my gaze from Percy.

"Perseus… We need to talk." Chiron sighs. Percy shrugs and opens the door wider, but Chiron shakes his head, "Not here."

"What's going on?" Percy looks at him skeptically.

"Come with me." Chiron says sternly, turning and walking back towards the Big House.

"What are you doing?" I ask him. Chiron looks at me and raises his eyebrows in silent reply.

I walk right next to Percy, so close that if I could, I would be bumping shoulders with him, but he doesn't acknowledge me. He walks right through me to get through the door to the Big House, and shivers slightly.

"Chiron!" I whisper.

"Percy," Chiron turns to him, "Did you just get a chill?"

Percy shrugs again, "It's cold at night."

Chiron frowns, and looks at me, communicating silently.

"What are you looking at?" Percy asks, slight annoyance in his voice. I suddenly feel bad for interrupting his sleep.

Chiron clears his throat, ignoring Percy's question. "We need to talk to you?"

Percy raises a dark eyebrow, "We?"

"I! I need to talk to you." The centaur stumbles, clearly worried.

"About what?" Percy asks, his shoulders sagging.

Chiron takes a deep breath, worried to say it. But he does say it. It, being my name. "Annabeth."

Immediately, Percy goes stiff. His eyes go unfocused and his breathing goes uneven. He looks like he's either about to explode or crumple. He does the latter, covering his face in his hands and making a pained sound in the back of his throat. I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder gently.

"Percy?" Chiron whispers, "She loves you."

Percy shakes his head, still cradled in his hands, unable to form words.

"I do love you. So much." I breathe.

Percy looks up at Chiron with an angry expression, "It's too soon. Why would you even…?"

"She's not gone." Chiron says slowly, carefully. Wading instead of diving.

"Yes! She is! I saw her body, Chiron, I was there when… when she…" his throat closes up. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly. He doesn't react.

"She's dead," Chiron agrees, earning a sob from the boy in my arms. "But she isn't gone."

"If you're going to tell me that her memory will live on, or some absolute crap like that, then save your breath. I'm going back to my cabin." He stands, fists clenched. Before he can reach the door, I lunge out and grab his wrist. He stops and looks back over his shoulder, eyes wide. He doesn't look straight at me, but at some point above my head.

"Percy…" Chiron's eyes move from him to me, "Why did you stop?"

"I…" Percy shakes his head, his unruly hair going in every direction, "I don't know."

"I wasn't going to say her memory will live on. Or some absolute crap like that."

"What then?" Percy's expression hardens again. I'm worried that his face will always look like this now, strained and hurt. The thought tugs at my heart.

"She's here," Chiron whispers, barely audible.

But Percy heard him. His eyes dart around the room, trying to find me, as if I was standing behind the curtains the whole time. His eyes look straight through me, and then move on. "What do you mean?" He asks.

"She chose to come back," Chiron explains quietly, "Instead of Elysium."

"She could have gotten Elysium?" Percy nearly shouts, "And she came back here? Dammit! Why would she do that?"

"For you," I yell back at him, tears in my eyes.

"For you." Chiron tells him for me. Percy's muscles relax a bit.

"Is she here? In this room?" he asks, his voice so much quieter now.

Chiron grimaces, "She's standing right in front of you."

His eyes look down, right into mine, but I can tell by his expression that he can't see me. I reach up and cup his face in my hand.

"She's touching your cheek," Chiron whispers.

Percy's own hand comes up and touches mine, passes right through it, and our hands are in the exact same place for a moment before he drops his. "Why did you have to leave me?" he asks quietly, addressing me for the first time since I died. His eyes are red and watering.

"I didn't want to," I drop my hand as well, studying his face.

"She didn't want to," Chiron repeats for Percy to hear. He says everything I tell Percy that he can't hear, "She didn't have a choice. She says it wasn't your fault, and that if you blame yourself, she'll find a way to kick your butt."

Percy laughs through his tears, "Gods, I miss you. I miss you so much."

"She misses you too," Chiron fills in for me, "And… she loves you more than you know."

"I love you so much, Wise Girl." His eyes leave mine and trail to the ground. Then he turns to look at Chiron. "Is there any way to get her back?"

"She's… dead, Percy." Chiron reminds him softly.

"I know. But can I see her? If you can see her and hear her, why can't I?" he demands.

"I'm immortal. I can see spirits." The elder explains.

"Can you touch her? Can you hug her for me?" his eyebrows pull together.

Chiron shakes his head, "She's not solid. It's impossible for her interact with us physically."

"Tell him what you told me! I touched you!" I scream at Chiron, "Don't lie about this! It's too important."

But he doesn't say anything else to Percy.

"I thought I saw something in my cabin a few hours ago," Percy says quietly, unaware of my screaming. "I thought I saw her eyes."

"Her eyes?" Chiron asks, ignoring me as I pound against him, most of my hits not making contact. A few times he twitches, but I'm not sure if I'm the cause.

"They were there for only a second." Percy mutters. I stop thrashing and look over at him. "I thought I was going crazy."

"You're not!" I cry, "I was there!"

"She… was there." Chiron looks at me with an expression I can't decipher.

Percy looks back to where I am, although his gaze is about three inches to the left. I position myself so that he's looking right at me. "We always wanted to be alone in a cabin together," he smirks, "The circumstances suck… but…"

"I need to touch Percy Jackson!" I tell myself loudly, "I need it!" I reach out and place a hand on his chest. He flinches away, itching at the spot where my fingers brushed.

"Did you feel that?" Chiron asks quietly.

"Was that her?" Percy asks quietly.

"Contact is impossible," Chiron repeats.

"Was that her?" Percy asks with a bit more force.

Chiron sighs, "Yes."

Percy looks at me, and then back at Chiron, "You lied."

Chiron shakes his head, "It _is_ impossible. The fact that she has such a strong presence here… it's like she's not even fully dead."

"My body is a pile of ashes," I snap at Chiron.

"I know!" Chiron glares at me.

"I'm all the way dead."

"I was at the funeral. I know."

"So what does it mean that my presence is strong?" I throw my hands in the air, annoyed. Percy stands in awe, hearing only half of the conversation.

Chiron closes his eyes in concentration for a moment, and then looks over at Percy. "Annabeth, you're not all the way dead," he says to me, although his eyes are on Percy.

"Yes. I am." I spit.

"No. There are many parts of the spirit."

"What are you talking about?" Percy and I both ask.

"A human soul is created of three things. Personality, determination, and motivation." Chiron says.

"Aren't the last two the same?" Percy asks.

"Oh, no. Someone can be determined to do something great, but without motivation, it would never get done. Annabeth has a strong personality, an even stronger determination, and the strongest motivation I've ever seen; one that brought her back from the Underworld."

It's silent for a few moments before Percy whispers, "Me."

"Oh gods," I mutter, "Percy, don't be angry with yourself."

"It was me!" Percy explodes, "I kept her from Elysium? Gods, Annabeth, you should have stayed in Elysium and waited for me! What you did was idiotic! You should've never come back!"

His voice rings around the room as it dies into silence. Tears spring to my eyes, and I sink to the ground, hugging myself. He doesn't want me here. He doesn't. It's quiet between the two living as I try and control my out-of-control heart that is threatening to burst.

"Is she yelling at me?" Percy asks quietly after a few minutes.

Chiron shakes his head slowly, "She's crying."

Percy's eyes close and he grimaces, "I am so sorry."

"Don't apologize when you have nothing else to lose," I whisper, even though Chiron is the only one to hear. He lowers his head.

"Chiron… I want to go back to my cabin." Percy whispers. I immediately stand and wipe my eyes, summoning whatever strength I have left.

"I'm going with him," I tell Chiron.

The centaur nods sadly, "Annabeth is going to come with you."

Percy half-smiles, although he looks far from happy, "Alright."

We exit the Big House together, and Chiron walks us back to Cabin Three so that the harpies won't eat us. When we're safely inside, Percy sits on his bed and pulls his knees to his chest, staring straight ahead. I can practically see the thoughts running through his mind as he sits in silence.

Then he opens his mouth and everything spills out , "I know you said not to blame myself, but I could've stopped it. I could've stopped everything, and now that you can't talk back, you're going to have to listen to me. You made me leave you alone, just because of a stupid cut on my neck that healed in less than six hours. You made me. But I let you make me. I knew that it would hurt your confidence if I stayed, and I planned on coming back right after the kids got to their cabins, but I was too late. If I ran faster, or would have just _stayed_ by your side, I wouldn't have to be talking to a wall hoping you're listening, I would know. Because you'd be here, and I'd be holding you, and you'd kiss me, and I would absolutely love my life. But you're not here, or maybe you are, but only halfway, and I don't want half of you, Annabeth, I want all of you. I want you back more than anything. I can't live without you, and if that's my only option than I won't live without you, I'll die with you. I'll demand to become a ghost with you. As long as it's with you."

I shake my head at him, not even bothering to reply. I know that if I open my mouth right now, I'll begin bawling, so I keep it zipped shut and just listen to his breathing as he catches his breath.

He laughs sharply, "It's so weird, not even knowing where you are. Are you in my cabin with me still?" He pauses, "You can't answer. Right."

I swallow the lump in my throat, "I need you, Percy." I lean in close and brush my lips against his, not feeling anything.

When I pull away, his fingers are on his lips, and his eyebrows are pulled together. "I can't even tell if I imagined that," he whispers.

"You didn't." I tell him gently, calmly.

"Did you kiss me? Because it's really weird if you're all over me, and I don't even know it," he smiles lightly, which makes me smile too.

My first real, genuine smile as a dead girl.

**((A/N Let me know what you guys think of the story line. I'm pretty sure I know where it's going to go, but sometimes you never know :) R&R))**


	4. I'm Gone Again

**((A/N This chapter is pretty short, but it gives insight on how Annabeth died, so it's pretty important. Plus... well, you'll see ;) R&R))**_  
_

_After our kiss, he leaves me. He breaks into a run, calling "Be careful!" over his shoulder. Then he disappears through the trees._

_ I grip my knife hilt in my hand firmly, preparing myself for what I hear closing in. And then it's there, shining gold and bronze, wielding two swords and two whips in its four arms. Its eyes glow red, and its teeth are metallic and razor sharp._

_ "Stupid machine," I hiss, holding myself in a defensive manner. It whirs at me angrily, as if it knows what I'm saying. "You were only a prototype. No wonder you're all whack."_

_ It charges, its weapons flying frantically, but I dodge it easily, rolling to the side and coming up on my feet. I stab at it, but my knife tip bounces off of the hard metal, my wrist crackling with the impact._

_ "Ow!" I yell at the machine, "Not cool."_

_ My ADHD kicks in, and I find myself coming up with battle plans while I dodge and stab at the training-dummy-gone-haywire. None sound even remotely possible until…_

_ I begin running away from the machine, driving it farther into the forest. I sprint towards Zeus' Fist, the ginormous pile of rocks that is so famous in capture the flag. I begin climbing it, as fast as I can, but the machine lunges out with a whip and grabs my ankle, sending fire through my foot. I cry out and kick randomly, hoping to connect with something. When I do, I climb as high as I can, right up to where I can see out over all the trees. I see the Big House in the distance, and a huge crowd of people spilling from the forest into camp. I see Percy, turning and darting back into the forest, coming to help instead of getting medical care. "Stupid Seaweed Brain!" I groan, realizing I have to kill this thing quick, before he gets here._

_ The machine had trouble climbing the rocks, but now that its reached where I am, its arms begin flailing again. I dodge a whip, slide beneath the knives, and lodge my knife deep into its core, the place where a human heart would be. Its eyes flicker, and it lets out a shriek as it dies, its energy failing._

_ I don't realize that we're on uneven rock. I don't realize that the robot is going to fall on me. I don't realize that I'll be pitched off the peak of Zeus' Fist. Until I'm flying._

_ My body slams into the rocks, and pain consumes me, but I keep bouncing down, down, down. I hear myself screaming. I feel my bones break. I feel my skin being ripped open. But I don't feel my neck snap._

* * *

All of it comes rushing back as I sit in the corner of the cabin and watch as Percy sleeps. He asked me if I would stay. I told him yes. Of course, he didn't hear me, but he assumed.

It's about six in the morning when he wakes up. He calls out to me, and I reply. I'll never give up on replying. He shakes his head, and retreats to the bathroom where I hear the shower turn on.

"You'd better not be watching," he laughs through the door. I smirk, but give him privacy, walking over and sitting on his bed. I run my hands through his sheets but they don't move. I want them to move so badly.

I wait for him, and when he's done showering, he comes out of the bathroom in new clothes. His orange camp shirt looks too bright for the expression on his face.

"This is pitiful," he mutters, "Everyone else is going to think I'm crazy."

"Don't tell anyone!" I exclaim.

"Are you going to follow me around all day?" he asks quietly. I tell him probably.

He comes over to sit on his bed, so I move out of the way, not wanting to be sat upon. He looks ahead, at the wall.

"Can you please sit where I'm looking so that I know I'm looking at you?" he asks me. I shift so that his eyes meet mine. His eyes look empty. "How come I could see your eyes last night? Why can't I see you now?"

"I don't know."

"What I want more than anything is to hear your voice right now."

"I'm talking. You're just not listening."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Can you kiss me again?"

This question catches me off guard. He looks at me pleadingly, and I submit. I crawl over to him and put my hands in his hair. I think I feel a piece of it move against my touch, but it stops after a moment. His eyebrows come together and he whispers, "I felt that."

And then I lean in and kiss him full on the mouth, not holding any of my emotions back. I pour my heart and soul (or however much soul I have left) into my kiss.

And he responds.

He kisses me back, his face pushing against mine, his nose bumping against mine, his hands tangling in my hair, and I feel all of it. I kiss him harder, and he lets me take over. I let my hands run along his shoulders and chest, feeling his warm skin underneath his shirt.

I'm running out of breath, but I refuse to pull back, because I'm scared this won't be able to happen again. Our kiss turns to one of urgency and desperation, and I feel myself on the verge of tears. I don't let him pull away, even as they spill over, even though both of us are panting wildly.

But then he pulls away, brows furrowed, breathing heavily. "Why are you crying?"

"I kissed you!" I sob, "I kissed you!"

"I asked you to," he replies in a whisper, eyes wide.

"Y-you can hear m-me?" I try to pull myself together, but I just keep falling apart all over again.

He's silent for a few moments, and then he shakes his head, "This is crazy."

"But can you hear me?" I cry, reaching for his hands. My fingers pass through it and I sob again.

He doesn't answer, but instead says, "You're gone again."

"I'm right here." I tell him, grabbing his bicep. He doesn't feel it.

"If you're still here…" he bites his lip, "That was both the best and weirdest kiss we've ever had."

I'm about to ask him why it was weird, but then I realize he couldn't see me. I put myself in his shoes and it creeps me out a little.

"And we're going to figure out a way to do it again." He adds finally, "I swear on the Styx."


End file.
